


something soft, true and hopeful

by alltimecharlo



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Ballum being dads™, Fluff, It’s literally a graze okay, M/M, Minor Injuries, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 10:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19851373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltimecharlo/pseuds/alltimecharlo
Summary: Lexi manages to injure herself in the playground and seeing Callum with his daughter only makes Ben want him more.





	something soft, true and hopeful

**Author's Note:**

> I read someone’s fic about Callum, Ben and Lexi and got inspired to write this!
> 
> (Enjoy fluffy, light-hearted content whilst we suffer in the Ballum drought:,)

“Daddy, Daddy, push me higher!” The small 7 year old demands with enthusiastic vigour. Such fervour, however, is definitely not suited to such an hour in the morning, Ben decides. After doing the nice thing and agreeing to switch his time with Lexi to the morning for today so that Lola could sort out something or other, he admittedly had started to already regret his decision.

“All right, all right.” He relents, hooking his hands to the back on the swing when it reaches him and giving Lexi a boost. Hearing her resulting exclamation of glee, Ben can’t help but smile to himself. He does love her a lot.

However, his piercing headache from an unexpected late night last night provided him with heaving discomfort. He clutches his temples, slightly wincing.

By this time, Lexi had slowed down to a speed that was apparently unacceptable. “Why’d you stop?” She asks with a pout on her face.

“I’ve just got a bit of a headache, darling,” He begins, “It’s okay, don’t worry.” Although the finishes with a pained wince and a longing glance towards the cafe across the square. God, he could kill for a cup of coffee. 

Apparently, he’s not very convincing, even to a 7 year old, as Lexi seems to regard him disapprovingly as she says, “No you’re not,” tilting her head to the side, “You can go and get coffee if you want.”

Ben is surprised she deducted what he desired but manages to reply all the same, “As much as I’d like to, I can’t just leave you here on your own, love.” Nudging her chin with his finger and thumb fondly.

“It’s okay!” The girl insists, “Mum leaves me in the park for a few minutes sometimes to rush in and get something. I’m a big girl now so I can look after myself too.” She finishes with a proud smile to her father. He can’t help but grin back instinctively.

“Well, okay then,” He agrees warily, but looking around the square he does see a few familiar faces he trusts going about their business so this relaxes him a bit, “But no swinging or anything while I’m not here okay? I’ll only be a minute.”

He pats her on the head and turns to leave as Lexi asks persuasively, “You’ll get me something too, right?” With a cheeky grin. 

Ben reckons she takes after her dad a lot as he shakes his head in amusement before answering, “Of course, darling, one of those pretty, pink cupcakes you love, I suppose?” Seeing her face light up at this he takes that as a yes. He may have to deal with a slightly hyperactive child the rest of the morning but Ben concludes this is would be a better result than pushing through the day with no remedy to his headache.

“Be good, okay? And don’t talk to strangers!” He requests, walking away hesitantly. To that, he receives a toothy grin with a brief ‘okay!’

———

How can he be running late for work _again_? Callum asks himself, steadily rushing down streets as not to appear in as much hurry as he was. 

He does, however, know the answer to that question but he does not want to admit it to himself. Countless nights of reminiscing that night, that one night, with Ben in the park had really shaken up his sleeping schedule, thus making him sleep through his alarms two days running.

Huffing slightly in the sweltering summer humidity, Callum finally nears the square. _Almost there_ , He thinks to comfort himself. Hopefully, he’s not in too much trouble, he really can’t have the hassle of finding a new job right now, not with the new flat and Whitney’s business and-

However, his train of thought is swiftly interrupted by a high pitched scream, followed by nearby wailing and crying. Said noises stop Callum in his tracks, alarmed, and he retraces his steps immediately to find a girl huddled over by the swing, holding her right leg in apparent pain.

Callum begins to approach the girl before he recognises who she is, as there is no obvious parent or guardian in sight he is rather concerned. He does now, however, recognise her to be Lexi, Ben’s daughter, whom he had seen a couple of times in the streets clutching onto the man’s hand.

This doesn’t change anything, he still wishes to check on her; the girl was now crying out in lower, mumbled sobs.

“Hey,” He tries softly, approaching with slow caution and crouching down to her level, “Are you okay?”

The girl lifts her head at the sound of his voice and luckily Callum sees recognition in her eyes and the relaxation of her shoulders. She does recognise him then.

Lexi brushes her blonde hair out of her face messily with her free hand and nods whilst snivelling.

“I hurt my leg,” She explains through her tears, pointing to it, “I was on the swing but I think I went too high ‘cause I fell off.” She says this last part sheepishly as if she knows it’s something she was not meant to do.

Callum tries to nod understandingly but is quite worried at the amount of blood emerging from a particularly nasty looking gash on her shin. It could get infected if it’s exposed for too long. Fumbling in his pockets after developing an idea, he grabs a couple of tissues and nears Lexi slowly.

“Will you let me try and clean this up a bit?” He asks softly, pointing out the largest cut. Lexi only meets his look and nods before tightly shutting her eyes and turning her head away. _She must not like the sight of blood_. Callum concludes.

“Please.” She adds meekly, cluing Callum back in and so ever so carefully, Callum does his best to wipe around the cut, checking Lexi’s face to make sure he wasn’t hurting her, and remove as much blood as he could from her grieved skin.

After several seconds, Lexi seems to deem it safe enough to open her eyes again and watches Callum finish cleaning her wound to the best of his ability. 

“You’re like a nurse.” She informs him with a giggle. 

Callum can’t help but chuckle at her comment and asks, “Is that so?” Whilst swiftly disposing of the now red and white tissues in a nearby bin.

“Yup, last time I hurt myself it was so bad I had to go to the doctor’s!” Lexi tells him, “I was scared but the the nurse there was really nice and she cleaned me up, just like you did!” She finishes with a smile and Callum feels his face mirror her’s. Kids are wonderful, he decides, so enthusiastic and hopeful.

———

Shifting the pink cake to one hand, Ben graciously accepts his coffee from the server, taking a long and life-saving sip as he pauses at the door to let an elderly couple enter. He almost thanks the Gods above as he already starts to feel his pounding headache retreat. 

His period of tranquility is short lived, however, as he walks towards the playground only to see Lexi on the floor, clutching her leg. Startled, worried and all things in-between, Ben starts to dash towards her when he notices a familiar face and body crouched down next to her. 

It’s Callum. Callum flipping Highway is crouched next to his daughter, lightly dabbing the source of her pain and smiling kindly at her as Ben hears her prattle on about one thing or another. Ben can’t even begin to comprehend the strong sense of fondness and yearning for such domesticity that overcomes him when he observes the scene.

“Daddy!” Lexi exclaims when he nears them, she attempts to leap up to go and hug him but Ben is sharply reminded of the circumstances when she yelps out in pain at the effort. 

He rushes over the last few metres, sparing Callum a short, questioning gaze before crouching down as he approaches her. “What happened, darling?” He inquires caringly but firmly, for all he knows there may be someone he needs to go and sort out.

“Well...” She begins and her guilty tone calms Ben massively as she goes on, “I may have kept on swinging when you left and I, um, fell?” Now she’s looking up at Ben from under her eyelashes with her best ‘innocent’ look but he knows there’s a time for sympathy and a time for life lessons.

“You see,” He says, holding onto her shoulder, “This is why you should listen, love, you didn’t and you got hurt!” Ben is quite proud of himself for pulling off the disappointed dad tone.

“I know, ‘m sorry, Daddy.” Lexi half mumbles, looking down dejectedly. 

Ben sighs and drops a kiss on her head, pulling her close into him in the process. “I know darling, right now I’m just very glad you’re okay.” He informs her, with a reassuring smile.

She perks up at this. “Only because of Callum!” Lexi tells him. Ben turns quickly and observes his daughter’s saviour, who had been patiently waiting as he checked on her. 

Ben catches his eyes and holds them for a moment before simply saying, “Thank you.” With all the sincerity he can muster. The world waits for a moment as the gaze between them lingers, something soft, true and hopeful passing between them. Ben suppresses a wider smile.

The moment is interrupted by Lexi attempting to stand again, having gotten bored with the lack of attention, and miserably failing with her leg being too weak to stand properly on. Both Ben and Callum manage to grab either side of her arms before she can topple over. 

Their eyes reconnect again at the mirrored movements and Callum finally answers, “You’re welcome,” rather shakily but with a small smile to his lips, “I’m just glad I could help.”

Before Ben has a chance to talk again, Lexi begins to hop towards the bench, wanting to sit down, and dragging the two men along with her. 

After helping her sit carefully on the bench, Ben remembers the pink cake he still, somehow, has clutched in his hand. It was a little disfigured now but he offers it to the girl anyway. “I think you deserve this now.” He tells her and grins seeing her mood improve massively just at the sight of the cake, taking it from him eagerly.

“Thank you!” He receives from her through a full mouth of cake as she belatedly remembers her manners. Both he and Callum laugh as he tells her not to eat with her mouth open. 

Not really ready to let this warm moment and accompanying feeling go, Ben impulsively offers, “You could join Lexi and I for lunch, you know.” Looking up from Lexi and over to Callum he adds, “I’m sure she’d love it.” Inclining his head in her direction with a grin. His statement is reinforced by a cake-occupied mouth reacting with an enthusiastic ‘Yeah!’

Ben watches as Callum broadly smiles at Lexi’s cute interruption and can’t help but feel his heart warm at the sight. He wishes he could get Callum to smile like that all the time.

However, Callum turns quickly, checking his watch as he mutters what Ben assumes is an adapted swear word for the good of a certain 7 year old present. He glances back to Ben with a flustered look, “I can’t sorry.” Callum begins and although Ben has prepared himself for this possibility he hadn’t quite imagined how he’d feel if it happened ( _crushed_ ).

But his disappointment must flicker over his face as Callum rushes to finish his sentence, “I’m late for work, so I can’t, I mean.” 

Ben almost hates how relieved the words make him feel. He watches as Callum lifts himself off the bench ready to leave, he tries again before he can, “Okay, well, at least let me buy you a pint or something later at the Vic.” As Callum considers his words, he adds, “To say thank you, of course.” 

This apparently seems to lighten the choice for the taller man as Callum seems to decide, nodding at Ben and answering, “I’ll see, maybe.” With a hint of a smile.

This time he lets Callum move a few feet away before calling after him, “I’ll see you there!” With the signature Ben Mitchell grin which everyone either loved or despised (okay, most people despised it but some had grown to love it. Ben secretly hoped Callum would eventually become one of the few.) 

Callum looks over his shoulder due to his call and seems to regard him and Lexi perched on the bench. Ben wraps his arm around his daughter where she’s now finished her cake and was now licking bright pink frosting off her fingers. Callum just lets a slither of a smile show through before decidedly turning back around and hurrying back along his way to work.

Once Ben has managed to drag his gaze away from the receding man’s body, he glances down at Lexi where she’s licking her lips like the cat who got the cream.

“Was that nice?” He asks jokingly and laughs when he still receives an energetic nod in answer.

“Callum was nice too,” She says out of the blue, mostly to herself apparently, “I liked him.” 

Even though her attention is immediately diverted onto another topic in a matter of seconds, Ben can’t help the smile that spreads across his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, kudos and comments are much appreciated ♡


End file.
